Snap-hook.



No. 643,924. Patented Feb. 20. 1900. J. E. VANNOTE.

SNAP HOOK.

(Application filed June 30, 1899.) (No ModeL) m: Npnnls PETERScapmcroumqrwasumcmm u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JACOB EDW'ARD VANNOTE, OF LAKOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJOHN A. KINSEY, OF SAME PLACE.

SNAP-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,924, dated February20, 1900.

Application filed June 30, 1899. Serial No. 722,426. (No model.)

To all whom it'mcty concern.-

Be it known that I, J AcoB EDWARD VAN- NOTE, of Lakota, in the county ofNelson and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and Improved Snap,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple and economic form ofsnap-hook which may be used wherever such a device is applicable, butwhich is especially designed to be employed in connection with harnessto attach the driving-reins or a hitching-strap, for example, to therings or ring of a bridle-bit.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a snap-hook that nosprings are necessary and also so that the snap will automatically lockand will not become accidentally unlocked while in use.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved snap. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalvertical section through the central portion of the snap, and Fig. 3 isa transverse section taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The body of the improved device consists of a shank 10, having a loop oreye 11 at one end anda hook 12 at its opposite end, and the said hook isrearwardly curved over the said shank. The shank is provided with alongitudinal slot 13, that extends from a point near the loop or eye 11to a point within the hook 12, as is best shown in Fig.2, and thatportion of the hook that is carried over the shank is provided with atransverse rib 14 on its under side, constituting a stop. As shown inFig. 1, this rib extends beyond opposite sides of the rearwardly-curvedportion of the hook, and the side edges of the ends of the ribs orflanges 14 are usually beveled, so as to render the free end of the hooksymmetrical, as also shown in Fig. 1. The flange or rib 14 is locatednearer the body portion of the hook than its free end, as illustrated inFig. 2, and

the under face of the free end of the hookis provided with a concavity15, said concaved surface being carried to the bottom of said flange orrib 14, as is also shown in Fig. 2.

A slide 16 is used in connection with the body. This slide is ofsufficient width to extend practically to the side edges of the shank10, and said slide is provided with a rib 16 on its bottom of suchdimensions that it will move freely in the slot 13 of the shank 10. Therib 16 of the slide is provided with a longitudinal slot 17, and theslide is held within the slot of the shank 10 of the body by passing apin 18 through said shank and through the slot 17 in the slide, as isshown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper face of the slide is decidedlyconcaved, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, forming thereby two end sections19 and 20, whose tops are considerably above the horizontal plane of thecentral portion of said concaved surface of the slide. The end 19 of theslide, which is the forward end, is of such length that when the slideis drawn rearward as far as possible the said forward end 19 of theslide will engage with the under surface of the hook 12 adjacent to itsfree end, as shown in Fig. 2, thus preventing the escape of any ringthat may have been entered at the hook portion of the snap. The slide isreadily moved forward and backward through the medium of the rear end20, and said slide may be operated as conveniently in very cold weatheras in warm weather and as readily with gloves as without them.

When a ring is to be entered at the hook portion of the snap, the slideis carried forward as far as possible, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.2. A ring may now be passed between the concaved surface of the slideand the concaved surface 15 of the front end of the hook 12 back to theforward body portion of the hook, and as soon as the slide is releasedthe tendency of the slide will be to move rearward and close the openingat the mouth of the hook.

While the snap is in use, in the event the ring should have a tendencyto move rearward it will strike the stop or rib 14 and be deflecteddownward or in direction of the shank 10 and will thus be brought inengagement with the forward end of the slide, and the ring when soengaging will force the slide farther rearward, if possible, and willmore securely lock the mouth of the hook.

The device is exceedingly simple. It is durable and economic, and theabsence of springs renders the device reliable at all times. Through themedium of the slide 16 the snap is readily made to engage with the ringand may be as conveniently disengaged therefrom. It is possible toremove the hook from the snap only when the slide is carried forward,the ring having previously been carried to an engagement with theconcaved surface at the mouth of the hook.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. A snap, consisting of a longitudinallyslottedshank formed with a hook having a concave under surface at its free endand a transverse rib at the inner end of said surface, and a slidefitted to slide loosely in the slot of the shank, said slide having aconcavity in its upper face opposed to the concave surface of the hookand a raised end section formed on each side of its concavity, the innerend section forming a finger-hold, and the outer end section abuttingagainst the free end of the hook when the slide is at the outer limit ofits movement, as set forth.

2. A snap, consisting of a longitudinallyslotted' shank formed with ahook having a concave under surface at its free end and a transverse ribat the inner end of said surface, a transverse pin in the slottedportion of said shank, a slide having movement on the upper face of saidshank and having a concavity on its upper face opposed to the concavedsurface of the hook and a raised end section at each side of itsconcavity, said slide being formed on its bottom with a rib fitting inthe slot of the shank and formed with a longitudinal slot in which thetransverse pin is received, the said slot being of such a length thatthe inner end section of the slide will stop between the free end of thehook and the transverse rib when the slide is at the inner limit of itsmovement whereby to form a zigzag or undulating passage for theinsertion of a ring, and whereby the said end section of the slide willabut against the free end of the hook when the slide is at the outerlimit of its movement, as set forth.

JACOB EDWARD VANNOTE. \Vitnesses:

L. W. FLoREN, H. G. MERRITT.

